Haunted
by Boho-Indie Queen
Summary: There was an island Odysseus washed up on that Homer made no attempt to tell. On this island, the king of Ithaca came face to face with a deity who'd haunt him for quite some time...


5

**A/N: Hey guys. This was an assignment for English I did after reading the Odyssey. I hope you guys enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Greek Mythology (imagine how cool yet confusing that would be…to own mythology…). **

The Odyssey Ghost Episode: Haunted

Exhausted, parched, and starved I wandered the shores of the ghost island. With all my men taken to Hades and his realm of death, I was left to walk on this forsaken land alone. I kept to the shore for fear of what I would find beyond the mist. There was no sun, no light from Helios at all to disperse the fog. My imagination was the only thing giving me sight behind the veil.

My hours turned into days, and before I could regain control of my senses, I was slipping through the mist. My curiosity was insatiable at this point, and there was no point in stopping it. The fog was thick and heavy, my breathing becoming labored. I was savoring my fear for the moment when I truly needed it. Perspiration seeped from my pores at an alarming rate. My bones seemed creak with each step I took. My heart tightened as if a god were closing a fist within my breast.

At last I came to a jagged cliff and climbed. My arms had become feeble from the lack of nutrition and use. If there was game in the land above me, I would kill and feast to the point where it would be a crime. The higher I climbed, the more vines sprouted from the rock. I was nearing the end of my tedious climb when the voice of a young man spoke above me,

'There is a witch up there, Odysseus. I would advise you to stay away unless, that is, you are willing to deal with madness for the rest of your mortal life.'

Sitting on a ledge was indeed a young man. He had dark curls, fair skin, and was adorned in a robe of deep blue. A faint purple light radiated off of him in the way only a god could. As I neared, I noted his deep, dreamy gray eyes and purple wings. I questioned,

'My lord, forgive me, but are you Morpheus or his father, Hypnos?'

He chuckled in the way only the tired do,

'I assure you, King Odysseus, I am my father's son, Morpheus.'

'Well, then, my lord, may I ask why you have come?'

His countenance became almost flabbergasted. His wings fluttered anxiously and he sighed,

'I told you, there is witch up there. I merely came to warn you. Athena asked me herself. What a fool I would be to resist an Olympian, much less _her_.'

'And what of this witch? I have faced a witch, a goddess before. Why should this one bother the likes of me?'

Morpheus pursed his lips and warily glanced upwards,

'This one is not like Circe. True, she is the daughter of Hecate and granddaughter of Helios, but this witch is the daughter of much more…'

I scoffed,

'And what could be much more?'

'This witch is Melinoe, goddess of ghosts, and the daughter of my lord and lady, Hades and Persephone.'

My chest became heavy again. My throat tightened. Breathing became a troubling task once again. Morpheus spread his grand wings and hovered next to me,

'She could teach you a thing or two, if you do not succumb to her madness that is. Be wary, Odysseus.'

He flew away, leaving me to ponder my actions carefully. I continued climbing. A sigh of relief sprang from my lips when I reached the top.

The sight before my eyes astounded me in such a way, the thought of Melinoe nearly left my mind. The entirety of all I could see was flowers. Waves upon waves of blossoms ranging all types of flowers, some I had never even seen before, in blues, blacks, and purples. I kneeled down to capture a bud when a thorn cut my finger, crimson fluid dropping onto the petal.

I winced and stood only to come face to face with some creature not of this world. She was two people in one, half as white as sea foam and half as black as death. She was adorned in robes of shimmering gold. Her eyes, black, fathomless pits, stared at me unblinking. Evil seemed to radiate from her being. Her expression remained unchanging as she analyzed me. She feigned sincerity as she bowed,

'How do you do, oh great Odysseus? I see you have crashed upon my island, Melantha.'

'I apologize for being rude, Lady Melinoe, but if you would be so kind as to help me leave.'

She narrowed her eyes,

'Did Morpheus not tell you had a lesson to teach you?'

I shifted uncomfortably on my feet,

'He did. May I ask what that lesson is?"

No sooner than the words came from my lips, did her form change. She changed her form repeatedly with the same agonized expression, and every time she changed, I recognized the face. Before long, I had fallen to my knees, unable to take more. At last she was the goddess once again.

'This is lesson I have taught you, King of Ithaca. Your foolishness and pride has brought the wrath of the gods and the death of your men. All thanks to you, without the proper burial rites, they are forever doomed to walk the earth as ghosts, unable to reach Elysian.'

I wept. I questioned myself and all the decisions I had made. Was this the kind of king I was? Is it really my fault my men were all dead? My ponderings were interrupted by the voice of a familiar god,

'I believe you have taught him enough, my lady.'

From the mist, Morpheus emerged above. He looked down at me with pity obvious in his eyes. He then turned to Melinoe,

'Your father requests your presence, my lady.'

Melinoe gave me one last sneer before being engulfed in shadows. Morpheus kneeled beside me,

'You have suffered enough, for a while at least.'

I stared at him in disbelief,

'What do you mean for a while?'

'There are still more trials ahead of you before you are to see your home of Ithaca, king.'

'How am I to face these trials if I am stuck here?'

A crooked, yet playful grin split the god's face,

'What makes you think you were ever here in the first place? I am the god of dreams, after all.'

Before I could protest, he slid his hand over my eyes and I fell into a comfortable darkness. My body began to feel warm and nourished. I was feeling like the king I really was. I awoke to the sun and a beautiful goddess standing over me,

'You have awoken at last.'

I groaned, the smell of herbs reaching my nostrils,

'Who are you?'

She smiled a dazzling smile,

'I am Calypso.'


End file.
